Living On
by artemis-nz
Summary: Things change along the way, but the Mabudachi Trio still live on. Vague Ayame/Shigure/Hatori.


"But 'Tori-san! Its a magnificent idea! What, after all, could be more brilliant than three men displaying their beauty? I understand we could start a riot, but is that really any reason for us to nip the idea in the bud?"

"_No._"

"Don't be so negative, 'Tori-san! What about you, 'Gure? Surely you must think the idea is simply too stunning to pass up?"

"Well..." Shigure rubbed his chin thoughtfully before his face brightened. Hatori inwardly groaned, knowing that he was in for it now. "Tell you what? Just us three! That way Hatori (we understand, you're shy), can join in on the fun. We can make it a Mabudachi Trio project!"

"YOSH!"

"Don't you guys ever get sick of that?" Hatori's question went unanswered. "In any case", he continued, "I would hardly call taking all our clothes off a project."

"Not _all_ of them, 'Tori! After all, its only the person who loses..." If Hatori was someone of any less courage, he would have ran away at the look in Ayame's eye. As it was, he gave a long-suffering sigh. Even Shigure looked a little put-out, although for a different reason.

"So... no high school girls then..." he muttered. "Ah well! "Que será, será, I suppose. I'm sure we'll have a great time on our own too."

Hatori chose not to comment.

"So when and where should we hold this majestic occasion? Shigure, any ideas?" Ayame was practically bouncing on the spot in his excitement, much to the dismay of Hatori.

"... girls. What? Oh... I don't know. We could do it after school I guess. But you know..." There was a gleam in Shigure's eye, too, that Hatori was wary of. "We could do it _at_ school. Add a little bit of excitement, you know?"

"_Excitement?_"

Ayame clapped his hands together, unmindful of Hatori's tone. "Of course, of course! The danger of being caught... the thrill of being caught... the drama of an unfamilair situation... such a thing would truly test our characters to the extreme! Oh, it would be like an epic film!"

"Where everyone takes their clothes off", pointed out Hatori.

"Yes yes, but that is the very essence of our quest! To show the world we are not afraid of revealing ourselves to them! To prove to everyone that our very souls are untainted with today's rules of society which keep us in captivity! What a truly rare, wondrous, occasion! Its really a pity its not being made into a film-"

"You are both insane", said Hatori flatly.

Shigure linked arms enthusiastically with Ayame. "Now Hatori, no need to shoot the idea down so quickly! It could be fun-"

"_You're_ only doing this because you're a pervert."

Shigure gave a gasp. "Ha-san! How could you say such a thing? I'm wounded, you have created a scar deep down in my heart - a scar that may only be removed if you promise to join in with us. The Mabudachi Trio must always stick together, through thick and thin!"

"... No."

'Gure-san? You know that girl you like... the Sohma, with the long brown hair? You wouldn't like to, er, _accidentally_ bump into someone around her, would you? Because after all, she's never actually seen what you become when you're hugged by someone of the opposite sex, has she?"

Hatori glared. "You wouldn't."

Shigure shrugged. "You're talking about Aya here, Ha-san. Is there anything he really wouldn't do?"

Hatori looked at Ayame, still glaring, and took in the flamboyant clothes and unruly long hair, the eyes sparkling with what Hatori just _knew_ was something bordering on maniacal.

"..."

Ayame took Hatori's silence as assent, laughing in delight. "Wonderful! We'll meet behind the old shed tomorrow at lunch then. I have a bottle of sake I know I can get my hands on-"

"No alcohol at school, Aya."

"Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud, 'Tori-san! A bit of sake's good for the body. Right, 'Gure?"

"I guess it might be. Luckily for me I can always drink responsibly anyway. I'll look after you Hatori, don't worry!"

The bell rang. Hatori walked inside with the other two, face carefully blank. Sometimes it was all he could do to just hold on and be dragged along behind them.

* * *

Shigure was down to socks and underwear. Ayame was not behind but didn't seem to mind (or perhaps, thought Hatori, he was just too out of it to notice). Hatori himself, interestingly enough, had only just taken off his shirt - a feat that had statistically taken more rounds than it should have.

"Wah, Ha-to-_ri! _

"Yes, Shigure?"

"How come _you've_ still got your clothes on? Not fair!"

"I've still got my clothes on because I can actually hold my drink. Unlike you, who threw down a pair of sixes thinking they were eights."

Ayame giggled, enjoying the game and oblivious of a lot of what was actually going on. Hatori couldn't tell who was the more drunk out of the two. Shigure pouted and accepted another glass that Ayame handed him.

"I think you've been cheating, Ha-saaan."

"How's that? I've got no sleeves to hide cards up, have I?"

"Yeah, well..." Shigure's grumbling subsided as he raised his glass to drink. If the truth had to be told, Hatori was more than a little light-headed himself; he was forced to blink rapidly in order see his cards more clearly. Meanwhile, Ayame seemed to have abandoned his cards entirely.

"Hey, 'Gure-san? What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Huh?" Shigure put down his glass again, squinting. "Um... I don't know. I thought about being a vet. Seeing as I have an affinity for dogs and all-"

"A vet? Oh, 'Gure, we truly must be of one soul! For I have also thought about being a vet! Its true, we are uniquely connected!!"

"I'll say you are", Hatori muttered.

"But in truth, dear friend, I have to also tell you that I have recently put aside that dream - alas! Some things must be given up in order to become what we are destined to be! For I, Sohma Ayame, have decided be an live stage actor!!"

His eyes glowed as he posed and ended his speech. Shigure applauded. "Yes, we are of one mind, Aya. Together, we will set this world on fire! Because just as you stood up and proudly told the world of your truest dreams, so you inspired me to change my mind. While you amaze the world with your acting skills, I shall do my utmost to move people's hearts (particularly those of young women) with my playwriting!"

"'Gure-san, we truly share one unique soul. Friends forever!"

"YOSH!"

Hatori rolled his eyes.

"Oh, but I mustn't selfishly hoard all the limelight! 'Tori, what are you gonna do?"

Hatori frowned. "No idea."

"Aw, come on Ha-san, don't be so boring! Tell, tell!"

"Well... I always thought about being a doctor-"

"A doctor!? 'Tori, why didn't you say something sooner?" Ayame positively glowed. "A doctor! You, Hatori, will save lives! You stand upon a lonely mountain, bravely and stubbornly saving the world one person at a time until the universe has become a better place! What courage! What selflessness!"

"That's so beautiful!" cried Shigure, overcome by the speech. "Maybe you should be the playwright, Aya!"

Ayame beamed and stood, raising his glass.

"A toast!" he declared majestically, and Shigure immediately stood up as well, pulling Hatori up beside him. Hatori found himself with another glass in his own hand, filled to the brim with a substance that he didn't especially want to think about.

"To the future!" Ayame continued in a voice that carried too far. In one gulp he drained his glass.

"To the future!" Shigure repeated, following suit.

"Hatori?" they both said at once, looking at him.

Hatori sighed, glancing at the glass. He shrugged. "To the future", he said, giving in. The alcohol slid easily down his throat.

The principal chose that time to round the corner.

* * *

"And that", finished Ayame triumphantly", is how we all ended up in the staffroom drunk and in varying states of glorious undress! Brilliant story, right Yuki? You may worship me now if you like."

"..." Yuki walked out of the room, muttering something under his breath.

Ayame gasped. "My goodness, perhaps it was all too much for him at once? Just the thought of what we did that day must have made him speechless!"

"Er... that's one way of putting it, Aya." Shigure reclined lazily on the couch. "I guess he was just so overcome by awe that he felt he couldn't be in your presence a moment longer."

"Ah, of course you're right", said Ayame, missing the dry humor in Shigure's voice. "I should have thought of that myself. But you remember that story, right 'Tori-san?"

Hatori opened one eye from where he had been pretending to sleep. "How could I forget? But in my opinion the real story lies in how you managed to convince the principal to not only let us stay in school but get off with the minimum punishment."

Ayame drew himself up proudly. "Why, the pure power of my charm and worldly charisma of course!"

"I suppose some might call it that", said Hatori, knowing that Ayame would perceive the comment as agreement.

"But you know, after all that it was only Hatori who actually did what he said he was going to, and became a doctor." Shigure looked supremely comfortable, remembering. "Us two changed our minds somewhere along the way."

Ayame looked at him. "You only changed a little - you still got to write. Just not plays. I, on the other hand... well, Fate pulled me in another direction, to further and loftier heights", he finished solemnly.

Hatori snorted and Shigure tried (and failed) not to grin.

The Mabudachi Trio lived on.


End file.
